RNA splicing in the CACNA1 gene family generates functional diversity in voltage-gated calcium channels and regulates quantitative expression by producing transcripts with premature stop codons.
This review highlights how RNA splicing of CACNA1 genes generates functional diversity and regulates expression of voltage-gated calcium channels.
Semi-conserved exon boundaries in members of the CACNA1 gene family result in recurring pre-mRNA splicing patterns. The resulting variations in the encoded pore-forming subunit of the voltage-gated calcium channel affect functionally significant regions, such as the vicinity of the voltage-sensing S4 segments or the intracellular loops that are important for protein interaction. In addition to generating functional diversity, RNA splicing regulates the quantitative expression of other splice isoforms of the same gene by producing transcripts with premature stop codons which encode two-domain or three-domain channels. An overview of some of the known splice isoforms of the alpha(1) calcium channel subunits and their significance is given.
Jurkat‐Rott et al. (Tue,) reported a review. RNA splicing in the CACNA1 gene family generates functional diversity in voltage-gated calcium channels and regulates quantitative expression by producing transcripts with premature stop codons.